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Wednesday, January 14

16th Annual Texas Fly Tying Festival, Saturday, February 7
The Houston-based Texas Fly Fishers club will present their 16th annual  Fly Tying Festival on Saturday, February 7, 2009, at Bethany Christian Church, located at 3223 Westheimer in Houston. Annually this event features the largest gathering of fly tiers under one roof in Texas, and with added allure of programs and exhibits.  This year's special guest is Mark Sedotti.  Mark is an innovative fly tier and casting instructor, and was the casting columnist for Saltwater Fly Fishing magazine. Some of you may recall Mark from last year's Gulf Coast Council conclave, where he demonstrated casting 150 feet through a hoop!  Mark will be tying and doing casting demonstrations. Also on the agenda: six programs, Danish casting games, a Beginner's Corner, and a casting pond for attendees to try out rods by Sage, TFO, Echo, Orvis, and others. Cost is only $10 adults, $8 for seniors, $5 under 18 or $14 for an entire family. A spaghetti and meatball lunch will also be provided for just $5. Special room rates are also available at a nearby LaQuinta. For more details, check out the 2009 TFTF Flyer.   

Monday, January 12

Is Mustad discontinuing it's traditional hooks?
According to a post on the Fly Fisherman forums, Mustad will discontinue their standard tying hook series, which includes the 9672, 94840, 3906, etc., and replace them with a new series of chemically-sharpened hooks.  While the new hooks may be better, fly tiers have two major concerns. First is the price. The standard Mustad hooks represented the best value on the market.  Will the new CS hooks cost much more?  Second, the standard Mustads have served as the nomenclature for all hook types, gaps, and lengths.  When you hear 94840, you know it's a dry fly hook.  If the rumor is true, it'll be interesting to see what hooks any new standard naming convention is based on. 

Tuesday, January 6

FFF Launches National Anglers' Legacy Pledge Drive
The FFF has teamed with the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF) in a national campaign to introduce newcomers to fly fishing.  Anglers’ Legacy encourages avid anglers to share their passion for fishing and "Take the Pledge" --–a promise to take at least one new person fishing during the coming year.  The FFF has set a goal of having 8,000 members and fellow anglers take the Anglers’ Legacy Pledge between now and March 2009, and has developed an incentive program to reward members and the newcomers they introduce to fly fishing. To help boost the pledge drive, FFF is offering an incentive that is beneficial to current and potential members, newcomers and local clubs. Once FFF members pledge to become an ambassador, they can offer a $15 discounted FFF membership to those friends and family they introduce to the sport. FFF will also extend the $15 discount membership to all new Ambassadors (who are not currently FFF members) and the newcomers they take fishing. To become an ambassador, visit the FFF website at http://www.fedflyfishers.org/ and click on the Anglers’ Legacy logo. Instructions on how to get the half-price membership can also be found on the FFF website. 

A federal saltwater license? 
Yes it's coming, but probably not for many Gulf Coast anglers. In 2007, Congress approved a national registry proposed by NOAA for the purpose of gathering data about fisheries and better enacting conservation measures for recreational fishing. Beginning next year, anglers who are not registered with a state will have to carry a federal permit. Starting in 2011, that permit will cost between $15 and $25 annually. Fortunately Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida maintains their registries via recreational saltwater licenses. That license will serve as our permit. In other words, we won't have to carry or purchase anything extra to our license. But for those states that don't have a saltwater license, the federal government just gave them the excuse they needed to initiate one. After all, why let the feds collect the money - and the data - when your state can do it!

Friday, January 2 

It's rainbow stocking time in Texas and Louisiana.
Rainbow trout are once again being stocked in ponds across Texas and in some ponds in the Baton Rouge area in Louisiana.  Texas Parks and Wildlife has stocked over 70 locations statewide, with most of those being Community Fishing Lakes (CFL).  Stockings began as early as December 10 in Blue Hole Lake in Georgetown and will continue as late as early March in Bullfrog Pond in Austin.  This winter "put and take" fishery does not include the tailwaters of the Guadalupe River below Canyon Lake, which is a year-round trout fishery.  Regulations include a daily bag limit of 5, and a TPWD freshwater fishing stamp. In addition, anglers on CFLs can use no more than 2 poles... which should obviously exclude flyrodders (try casting even more than one flyrod at the same time).  A list of lakes and stocking schedules can be found at this website.  In Louisiana, the parish (county) of East Baton Rouge will once again stock select park lakes with rainbow trout. Those lakes include Burbank, North Sherwood and Palomino. Daily limit is 4 fish, and a Louisiana freshwater license is required.